PRODUCTION ENDS IN JUST A FEW WEEKS! HELP US GET THERE!



THIS JOURNEY TRULY BEGAN WITH A DREAM… The ancestors want something from us.  This film was birthed in the greatness of their memories, hopes, and blessings. 



My Mother’s Daughter is a documentary film about homecoming, reconciliation, and healing. A testament to the power of personal transformation, the film witnesses the outward and inward journeys of women from the African Diaspora – the U.S., Caribbean, South America, Europe – as they grapple with questions of home, ancestry, and belonging. Through the eyes and personal stories of the film’s characters, their journey begins an exploration of healing historic wounds that have divided Africa and the Diaspora for centuries. My Mother’s Daughter budget is estimated that the total budget for the film will be in excess of $350,000.

The CRITICAL FIRST STEP of this life changing journey took place Labor Day retreat on August 31, 2012 – September 3, 2012. This extraordinary, four day cinematic experience that was central to My Mother’s Daughter’s First Act will brought  the film’s characters together for the first time to share their stories and motivations for taking the journey. To make this essential experience a reality, we raised $35,000 to cover the cost of the film crew and equipment, as well as insurance, lodging, food, and transportation. By helping us fund My Mother’s Daughter and helping us get the word out, you became an honorary member of the founding group that launched this film. Our campaign is still continuing. We have the last group shoot set for Sept 8-10.



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WE CAN’T DO IT WITHOUT YOU.

With your help, we can change the world. WHAT HAPPENED:
From 1500 to 1900 AD, twelve million Africans were forcibly removed from the continent of Africa and sold into bondage in every corner of the “civilized” world. Four hundred years after the torturous Middle Passage that separated families and permanently erased ancestral ties leaving no trace or connection to a specific place, family line, or cultural identity, their descendants continue to struggle to gain their footing. Today, these descendants are scattered around the globe, including the U.S. (42 million), South America (111 million) and the Caribbean (23 million). My Mother’s Daughter is their story. Each of the characters of My Mother’s Daughter carries a distinctive voice of the African Diaspora. Walk along with them as they retrace the footsteps of their ancestors not only for themselves, but for the many millions who will never have the opportunity to make the homecoming journey.

WHY THIS FILM MUST BE MADE

While there have been landmark documentaries and feature films on African American history, culture, and experience in America, My Mother’s Daughter is a unique film. No other film has examined what was lost when family ties were severed and the impact this loss has had on generations of people of African descent around the world. And no other film has the potential to heal the four hundred year old wound that had its origins in the role of Africans in the Atlantic slave trade.

For centuries, this harsh truth has festered on both sides of the Atlantic. As the Diaspora has suffered, so too has Africa. Why is this film important? And why is it needed now? Because centuries after the first enslaved Africans stepped foot on the soil of the Americas, people of African descent around the world continue to face poverty, hardship, and disenfranchisement in disproportionate numbers. While racial discrimination remains a critical factor, My Mother’s Daughter explores whether something far deeper, -- the loss of personal story and connection to an ancestral homeland that makes all human beings whole, -- has made real progress unattainable. More importantly, the film is for the countless number of black children around the world who are ashamed of who they are, doubt their self worth, and take little pride in the magnificence of their African heritage.



YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

My Mother’s Daughter has a global reach that extends far beyond people of African descent. In our modern world where the interconnectedness of people is critical to our survival, the film promises to inspire and capture the universal longing of all human beings to belong to something larger than themselves. The story of redemption, forgiveness, and family reunion will resonate not only in the hearts of African Americans, but also the hearts of all people in search of origins, wholeness and healing. With the capacity to touch the lives of thousands, perhaps millions of people around the world, the film’s themes carry the healing capacity that comes not from traditional remedies, but from a far greater source whose origin is spirit and the land of our collective ancestors both in Africa and here in the United States calling out for peace and reconciliation.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

In addition to introducing the film’s characters, the retreat will feature the first dialogue of understanding between Africans and the Diaspora that is the heart of the film’s theme of reconciliation and healing and a central thread that will be woven throughout the film. Facilitated by race and gender activist Nontombi Naomi Tutu, daughter of Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu, this dialogue will begin to bring down the walls that in the 21st century still divide the Diaspora from each other and the continent of Africa. The first of many, these healing dialogues will continue in public and private conversations around the world long after the last credits of the film have rolled.  Only 7% of directors, 13% of writers, and 20% of producers are women. The numbers for minority filmmakers are even more dismal. While the long-term funding prospects for my Mother’s Daughter are promising, filming the Final Act of the film only finishes production. We face a huge leap from there into Post-production. Your donation will ensure that we are able to edit the first part of the film for future corporate and foundation funding sources.

JOIN US ON THE JOURNEY This undertaking has been the exhilarating challenge of a lifetime, a source of inspiration, and a labor of love. What has kept us going is the realization that we are embarking on a remarkable journey that will change lives. In the words of one cast member, “Everything we’re doing will touch another person, will touch another person. We have no idea how many lives we will touch. When I think about My Mother’s Daughter, I know it’s going to bring about a sense of awe and aHa moments! There are times when we’re going to feel like hallelujah and with that the tears will come.”



THIS FILM WILL TOUCH YOUR HEART AND CHANGE YOUR LIFE.

It has the unique capacity to create a shift in global consciousness and heal a generational wounds that have festered and haunted the descendants of African slaves for generations. Become a part of history. Join us on this incredible journey. Share this film and funding campaigns with your friends and family. Pass this on to everyone you know who might have an interest in this film. “Like” us on Facebook and share our story with as many as possible. You will get insider status updates, not just during funding, but throughout the filmmaking process.

YOU ARE CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THIS FILM. WE CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU.